Taiwan's president reassures voters after assassination attempt

TAIPEI, Taiwan -- Hours after an assassination attempt against President Chen Shui-bian, Taiwanese stunned by the attack started voting early Saturday in an election focused on the military threat from mainland China.

Gunfire hit Chen in the abdomen and Vice President Annette Lu in the knee as they rode through the president's southern hometown of Tainan at midday Friday, waving to supporters from an open-top, red jeep. Neither leader was seriously wounded, and some analysts speculated the bizarre shooting could win Chen sympathy votes in the tight race.

The challenger, ex-Vice President Lien Chan, urged voters not to be swayed by their emotions as he cast his ballot, among the first people at the polls. "We must be brave and calm," he said.

Besides picking a president, Taiwanese also are voting in their first referendum: It asks if Taiwan should beef up defenses if China refuses to withdraw missiles targeting the territory, and whether to seek peace talks with Beijing.

Chinese leaders have denounced the referendum, which they fear is a rehearsal for a vote on Taiwanese independence. The two sides split when the communists took over the Chinese mainland in 1949. Beijing wants Taiwan to rejoin the mainland and has threatened to attack if Taiwan seeks a permanent split.

China broke its official silence early Saturday, saying only that the government was following developments. It failed to join other Asian governments in wishing Chen a quick recovery.

The noncommittal, two-sentence statement by Beijing's Taiwan Affairs Office reflected a dilemma over how to respond without boosting the popularity of a Taiwanese leader that the communist mainland government reviles as a liar and traitor.

"We've taken note of the shooting at Chen Shui-bian and Annette Lu," said its statement, carried by the official Xinhua News Agency. "We'll continue to follow the developments."

At a junior high school in the capital, Taipei, Veronica Wu, a 35-year-old cook, said she was voting for Chen and that the shootings didn't influence her vote. "This is my occasion to participate in history," she said, referring to the referendum.

Karen Wang, 25, a student, said the economy was much more important. "I want to work when I finish my studies, so I voted for the candidate who cares about the economy, Lien Chan."

The election has been an emotional race dominated by negative campaigning -- even though Lien and Chen agree on China policy.

Neither candidate favors immediate unification, and both highly distrust the Communist leadership. Chen has been more aggressive in pushing for a Taiwanese identity separate from China, though, raising tensions with Beijing.

Before the shootings, Soochow University political scientist Emile Sheng saw certain victory for Chen's Nationalist Party opponent, Lien Chan. Now, he's not so sure. "This will give supporters a sense of urgency and tragedy, and cause a higher turnout," Sheng said.

Late Friday, a weary-looking Chen appeared in a videotaped message to say he was OK. "There's no problem with A-bian," he said, referring to himself by his nickname. "There's no problem with Taiwan's safety. Please feel at ease."

In Washington, the White House condemned the shooting but said the response in Taiwan was a testament to the country's democracy.

"The calm that has prevailed on Taiwan since the shooting underscores the civil responsibility of the Taiwan people and the strength of their democratic system," said Scott McClellan, press secretary to President Bush. "We applaud their commitment to moving forward with the March 20 election."

Earlier, however, the United States expressed its displeasure at the referendum on China -- as did France, Germany, Japan and South Korea.

Taiwanese officials refused to speculate about who staged the assassination attempt. Police said there might have been two assailants firing from different directions. One bullet ended up in Chen's jacket pocket, another under the seat of the vehicle.

A "deranged individual" seemed the most likely suspect, said Steve Tsang, director of Asian Studies Center at St. Anthony's College, Oxford University, adding that the China referendum might have heightened tensions and pushed an unsettled voter over the edge.

"Elections in Taiwan are always emotional and when the referendum issue was raised, it all became much more emotional and passionate," Tsang said. "That could well have had the effect of turning one person to doing something very, very silly."

China is a volatile topic in Taiwanese elections, but Tsang said it was "inconceivable" the opposition or the Chinese government could have been behind the attack.

Some TV commentators suggested Chen and Lu might have staged the shooting to win votes, but ruling party official Su Chen-chang dismissed conspiracy theories. "The vehicle was moving too fast, and any lapses (by the shooters) could have had seriously injured the president," Su said.

Chen enjoys street campaigning and frequently wades into big crowds. Security is relatively relaxed, because there's no tradition of violence against leaders. It was hot out, so neither Chen nor Lu was wearing a bulletproof vest.

At the hospital, doctors displayed photos of a 4 1/2-inch-long wound just under Chen's navel. Chan said the bullet didn't penetrate deeply and no internal organs were damaged.

The Nationalist Party condemned the attack, and offered a $300,000 reward in the investigation. "We were very, very shocked," said Lien, who visited Chen late Friday night.

The president has accused the Nationalist Party of involvement in a 1985 incident in which his wife, Wu Shu-chen, was run over three times by a truck, leaving her paralyzed from the waist down. The truck driver and party insisted it was an accident, and the driver wasn't charged.